March 29, 2012 - ITI released version 3.5 of SimulationX for physical modeling of mechatronic systems. The software introduces about one hundred features that help to speed up the development process while making it more efficient. The version comes with a bunch of libraries for quick simulations of planar mechanisms or vibrational and energetic analyses of hybrid drives, for instance. Modeling multi-body systems has now become even easier through enhanced visualization and interactive manipulation.
Other enhancements include the way result windows are handled: output options and settings for properties, result variables and transformations have been completely revamped. In addition, interfaces with MSC Nastran, VehicleSim or ETAS LABCAR, and COM functionalities guarantee an easy exchange of data within a closed toolchain. An, optional module “Power Balance” lets SimulationX users simulate power flows and energy consumption in order to develop energy efficient plants and machinery. Those energies are calculated automatically as integrals of the powers.
This allows not only for analyses of model dynamics, but in version 3.5 now also for analyses of power and energy flows, thus enabling the detection of causes for energy losses. The extended COM functionality now grants access to results of natural frequency analyses, steady-state simulations and notifications in the output panel. Moreover, it is now possible to import FEM data from MSC Nastran, export S-functions to ETAS LABCAR via MATLAB Real-Time Workshop and interact with VehicleSim (CarSim, BikeSim, TruckSim).
Through parallelization on multi-core processors, SimulationX 3.5 can now run variant calculations much faster. The user package “Hybrid Powertrain” offers an open Modelica library with basic and control elements, accumulators, transmission elements as well as vehicles for simulating serial, parallel and power-split hybrid drivetrains. The new Industrial Utilities Package bundles common model elements and tools for industrial energy related applications. It contains model types for air pressure generators, heat pumps, cooling units, gas turbines, gas engines and industrial boilers amongst others.
Further innovations are the 2D SimulationX libraries “Planar Mechanics” and “Belt Drives” which provide rigid bodies, force elements, joints, constraints, sensors, drive pulleys, belt and hoist drums as well as sheaves and permit animations in the 3D view. With the new libraries “MBS-Actuators” and “Brakes”, models for hydraulic and pneumatic 3D drivelines as well as dynamic properties of disc and drum brakes with temperature dependent friction can now be created and captured respectively in no time. A thermo-fluid library contains several cooling agents, such as R407C, R134a, R744 and R1234yf, which were developed especially for real-time simulations of thermal systems using the now available optimized non-linear solver algorithms.
What is more, there is a series of model elements in the existing SimulationX libraries facilitating the design process for models of mechatronic systems and are provided to ITI’s existing maintenance customers free of charge. Dog clutches can now be modeled with rectangular dogs and negative undercut angle. Parameterization of asynchronous motors is possible on the basis of an equivalent circuit or data sheets. All electric motors now come with thermal connectors translating electrical losses into heat flow. Parts of undissolved air can be defined in hydraulic fluids, and pressure ratios can be considered between hydraulic connectors.
In addition to that, SimulationX 3.5 includes four pressure valves with different connectors and power sensors for loss-free measurement of the hydraulic power. Furthermore, the version permits interactive manipulation of MBS models in the 3D view as well as exact visualizations of changes in position and orientation. For an easier initialization and equilibrium calculation, the homotopy operator simplifies systems of equations where appropriate. Also SimulationX’ real-time capabilities saw further improvements through monitoring options for defined limits when using a fixed-step solver.
Substantial improvements were made on the result windows in SimulationX. The concept for the result windows with pages and panels increases usability focusing on the results’ most important aspects. The property bar grants the user direct access to the result variables of all open models and to individual view options. Window layouts can be saved in XML and then be applied to other simulations. Moreover, there is a wide range of diagrams available, such as Sankey, pie and bar charts.
Performance enhancements guarantee that even extensive result curves with many computed points can be displayed quickly. On top of that, transformations and operations can now be specified directly within the result windows. Apart from traditional analysis operations, such as FFT and FRF, there are additional mathematical functions available that allow post-processing simulation results without the need to run the entire simulation all over again. Transformations and operations as well as integrations and derivatives can now be applied to all result curves enabling analyses in real-time.
